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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

终南山

Mount Zhongnan

王维

Wang Wei

山水Landscape 行旅Travel 气象Grandeur

太乙近天都，连山接海隅。
白云回望合，青霭入看无。
分野中峰变，阴晴众壑殊。
欲投人处宿，隔水问樵夫。

Taiyi almost touches Heaven’s Gate.
The joining mountains stretch to the sea’s corner.
White clouds close in behind when I look back.
Blue haze, as I enter it, becomes nothing.
The central peak divides the celestial fields.
Shade and sunlight differ in a thousand valleys.
I wish to find a place to stay for the night.
Across the stream I ask a woodcutter.

Listen

Meaning

This poem depicts the majestic scale and ever-changing atmosphere of Mount Zhongnan. Starting from the main peak, the view expands to the sea, then contracts to close-up clouds and mist, expands again to the whole mountain’s varied terrain, and finally focuses on a single human moment: asking a woodcutter for lodging. It celebrates nature’s grandeur while ending with a warm human touch.

终南山主峰太乙近逼长安天都，山势连绵直抵海角；回望白云合拢成帏，走近青霭却淡然若无。中峰划分九州分野，千壑阴晴各异；日暮欲寻人家投宿，隔水高声问那樵夫。

Appreciation

Wang Wei combines panoramic scale with subtle shifts of perspective. The first couplet uses hyperbole to establish immensity; the second catches the elusive transformation of cloud and mist; the third reinforces the mountain’s vastness through contrasting weather; the fourth brings the poet down to earth with a simple inquiry. The poem moves from distant to near, from high to low, and from objective description to personal participation, creating a rich spatial and emotional journey.

【白话串讲】王维写终南山，从天上写到人间：太乙峰高得挨着天，山在云里若隐若现。最后一句“隔水问樵夫”，把一个庞大的山写得有了人间的烟火气。【意象与手法】全诗以“远景—近景—高处—人迹”的游踪为序展开。首联“太乙近天都，连山接海隅”以夸张写山脉的绵长雄阔【情感与主旨】终南山为长安城南名山，乃道教圣地与隐逸象征。此诗约作于王维开元末至天宝间居京求仕或隐居终南时期【名句点睛】常考颔联“白云回望合，青霭入看无”的虚实相生与炼字（“合”“无”）

Background

Mount Zhongnan was a famous landmark south of the Tang capital Chang’an, revered as a Taoist sacred site and a symbol of reclusion. This poem was likely written when Wang Wei lived or traveled in the area during the Kaiyuan or Tianbao era. The term 'Zhongnan Fast Track' refers to the practice of feigning reclusion on the mountain to attract imperial attention, adding a layer of cultural meaning to the poem’s blend of natural grandeur and human activity.

王维《终南山》约作于开元末至天宝间，此时王维或居长安求仕，或已隐于终南。终南山在长安城南，横亘关中南缘，西起宝鸡、东至蓝田，绵延数百里，是长安的天然屏障，也是道教圣地和隐士栖居之所。终南山又称太乙山，主峰太乙峰在今陕西西安城南，「太乙」之名本道教尊神太一，山以神名，愈见其灵异。此诗首句「太乙近天都」，「天都」一解为帝都长安——太乙峰近逼长安，正点出终南与帝都的咫尺关系；一解为天帝之都，以极言山之高峻。王维早年在终南山一带隐居，其「终南别业」即在此，后得蓝田辋川别业，两处皆在终南附近，故王维一生与终南山结缘甚深。此诗以五律写终南全景，由远及近、由高及人，气象雄阔，是王维山水诗中以壮阔见长的一首，与《辋川集》诸作的清幽小景判然有别。版本方面，各本文字基本一致，唯「青霭」或作「青蔼」，今通行本作「青霭」，指青色的云雾。此诗写作的具体年份虽难确考，但从其雄浑阔大的气象看，当是王维盛年、尚存济世之心时的作品。终南山在唐代文人心中有着特殊的地位，既是可以「隐」的清静之地，又是可以「仕」的终南捷径，王维既曾隐于此，又长期为官长安，出入终南，故其笔下的终南山，既有仙山的缥缈，又有人间的烟火。

Art

The poem is structured as a travelogue from distant view to close sight to panoramic vista and finally to a human encounter. The first couplet paints with a broad brush; the second uses delicate observation of mist and cloud; the third employs astronomical and meteorological contrast; the fourth closes with an intimate, rustic scene. This composition mirrors a Chinese landscape scroll that unfolds from vast mountains to a tiny figure, perfectly embodying Wang Wei's 'poetry in painting' style.

此诗以游踪为序，写终南山的全景。首联「太乙近天都，连山接海隅」以夸张之笔总写山势：太乙峰高可接天，山势连绵直达海角，一「近」一「接」，写出终南的雄阔与绵长，是远景的宏观勾勒。颔联「白云回望合，青霭入看无」写山中行游的切身感受：回望来路，白云已合拢成帏；近看青霭，却淡然若无。一「合」一「无」，写出云霭的变幻迷离、若即若离，是近景的微观体察，虚实相生，极尽山中云气之妙。颈联「分野中峰变，阴晴众壑殊」写登高所见：中峰立分星野，众壑阴晴各异，以天文分野之奇写山势之广，以千壑阴晴之变写山形之深。尾联「欲投人处宿，隔水问樵夫」由景及人：日暮寻宿，隔水相问，以一声人语收束全篇，于雄阔之中添了一份烟火与人情。全诗先总后分、由远及近、由景及人，章法森严而气象万千。就笔法言，首联以夸张造势，颔联以错觉写真，颈联以博奥见奇，尾联以淡笔收束，四联四种笔法，而统一于「望」与「行」的游踪之中，被后世推为王维五律的壮阔之作。颔联「白云回望合，青霭入看无」一联，写山中之云，与陶弘景《答谢中书书》「青林翠竹」式的山中清景一脉，而王维以「合」「无」二字写云霭的聚散，较之前人更为精微，遂成千古名句。此诗还可与王维《辋川集》诸作对读，见其写景由雄浑入清幽的两副笔墨。

Allusions

'Zhongnan' appears in the Classic of Poetry (Shijing) as a famous mountain. 'Taiyi' was both the peak’s name and a Taoist deity. 'Celestial fields' (fenye) refer to the ancient astrological division of land according to constellations, here used to suggest the mountain’s colossal size spanning multiple regions. The closing image of asking a woodcutter recalls a common motif in reclusive poetry, indicating the poet’s return to simple human connection.

此诗用典不显而意象有源。「太乙」即太一，是先秦以来至高的天神，《楚辞·九歌》有《东皇太一》，汉人祀太一于长安；终南山主峰以太乙为名，山因神而尊，首句「太乙近天都」遂带出道教神山的庄严色彩，也暗合唐代尊崇道教、隐士以终南为仙乡的风气。「天都」一语，语本《淮南子》等书中天帝所居之都的想象，又可实指长安帝都，一语双关，既状山高，又写地近皇居。「分野」是古代天文学的重要概念，出自《周礼》《史记·天官书》的星野之说——天上二十八宿与地上州国对应，各有所属；「分野中峰变」谓终南山中峰横绝，山南山北分属不同星野，以天文之广写地理之巨，是盛唐诗人常用的博奥之笔。至于终南的隐逸传统，唐代卢藏用隐居终南而「以隐求仕」，世称「终南捷径」（《新唐书·卢藏用传》），王维自己也曾隐于终南，故「终南山」三字在唐人心目中本就兼有仙、隐、仕的多重意味。全诗化此诸源入山水，不露痕迹而余味深长。「阴晴众壑殊」一句，还可与陶渊明《归去来兮辞》「云无心以出岫」以来的山云传统相接，而以「殊」字写众壑之异，正见终南山中气象万千、一步一景的深邃。「分野」之典，源出《周礼·春官·保章氏》及《史记·天官书》，王维以天文入山水，正是盛唐诗人博物好古、以学问入诗的体现。

Commentary

Ming critic Hu Yinglin praised Wang Wei’s mastery of scenery. Qing scholar Shen Deqian remarked on the poem's 'grand elegance and vast power'. Modern scholar Yu Piyun wrote that 'the whole mountain is painted with a thousand-mile momentum in just forty words'. The poem is celebrated for its ability to compress immense space into a compact form while maintaining a natural and unforced tone.

此诗为王维五律中的壮阔之作，与《辋川集》的清幽小景形成对照，历来颇受推重。清人沈德潜《唐诗别裁集》选入此诗，评其「近天都言其高，接海隅言其远」，又赞颔联「白云回望合，青霭入看无」写云霭之态「妙在无迹」。清人王夫之《唐诗评选》论王维五律，亦举此诗为写景之例，赏其「广摄四旁，圜中自显」的取景之法。后世论王维山水诗，多分「雄浑」与「清丽」二格，此诗即雄浑一格的代表——「太乙近天都」「分野中峰变」等句，气象之大，直逼杜甫的《望岳》。在传播史上，此诗与《汉江临泛》常被并提，同被视为王维以五律写大景的典范。近人闻一多、陈贻焮等论王维，亦多引此诗说明王维并非只工小景，其胸中亦自有丘壑万千。此诗还常被用作证明盛唐山水诗「气象浑成」的例证，与王维晚年的清空冲淡判然有别。后世注家如清人赵殿成《王右丞集笺注》，于此诗的「太乙」「天都」「分野」皆详加考释，可见其用典之博、地理之实，非泛泛写景者可比。近人论盛唐山水诗，多以此诗为「气象浑成」的例证，与孟浩然《望洞庭湖赠张丞相》「气蒸云梦泽」一联并称写景之雄。此诗与《汉江临泛》一写山、一写水，同以「雄浑」许之，是王维五律中难得的壮阔双璧，足证其才非止于清幽一路。此诗之雄，正可为盛唐气象在王维身上的印证。

Prosody

Form Five-character regulated verse (仄起首句不入韵)五言律诗

Rhyme Rimes with 隅 (yú), 无 (wú), 殊 (shū), 夫 (fū) in the Ping Shui Yun system (shangping qiyu rhyme group).平水韵上平七虞韵，押「都」「隅」「无」「殊」「夫」五韵，首句入韵

Tone pattern Oblique-tone opening (仄仄仄平平), no rhyme in first line. Middle two couplets are antithetical.此诗为仄起首句入韵的五律。太乙近天都（仄仄仄平平），连山接海隅（平平仄仄平），白云回望合（仄平平仄仄），青霭入看无（平仄仄平平），分野中峰变（平仄平平仄），阴晴众壑殊（平平仄仄平），欲投人处宿（仄平平仄仄），隔水问樵夫（仄仄仄平平），通篇粘对合律。

Reading note The structure expands spatially: near Heaven → to the sea → central peak → varied valleys → finally contracted to a single human figure asking a woodcutter. This open-and-close movement mirrors the rhythmic sweep of the verse.此诗为五言律诗，仄起首句入韵，押上平七虞韵，韵脚「都」「隅」「无」「殊」「夫」同部相押，一韵到底。「虞」韵属撮口呼，音色圆润而含开阔，读来有绵邈悠远之感，正合终南山绵延雄阔的气象。就平仄论，此诗通篇粘对工稳，是标准的五律正格；中二联对仗尤工——颔联「白云」对「青霭」、「回望」对「入看」、「合」对「无」，虚实相对；颈联「分野」对「阴晴」、「中峰」对「众壑」、「变」对「殊」，天文对地理、高对深，字字稳切而境界开阔。首句「太乙近天都」以平声收，末句「隔水问樵夫」以平声结，首尾以平韵呼应，余韵悠长。全诗声律之工与气象之雄相得益彰，是王维五律雄浑一格的典范。颔联「白云回望合，青霭入看无」以「合」「无」二字收束上下句，一仄一平，声调的收放与云霭的聚散相应；全诗虞韵圆润绵邈，正合终南绵延雄阔之象，声与景、情与韵在此浑然一体。其声律的圆转与气象的雄阔，正相得益彰。

Line by line

太乙近天都

Great Yi is near the capital of heaven,

终南山主峰太乙近逼长安天都

Great Yi Peak stands near the capital of heaven.

首句以「太乙」领起，既点山名，又暗含道教神山的庄严。「近天都」三字，一语双关：一说太乙峰高耸，几近天帝所居之都；一说终南近逼帝都长安，点明其地望。此句以「近」字写山之高、地之尊，起笔即见气象之雄。以一座主峰代指整座终南，是举其高者以概其余，笔力集中。首句定调，全篇的雄阔之气由此一句奠定，也为下句「连山接海隅」的绵远之势张本。以「太乙」之尊、「天都」之极，两相对举，山与天、山与都之间的距离感，被一个「近」字压缩到了极致。

The opening line leads with Great Yi, at once naming the mountain and secretly holding the Daoist sacred mountain's solemnity. Near the capital of heaven three characters are double-meaning: one reading, Great Yi peak soars, almost reaching the heaven-dwelling capital; another, Zhongnan presses close to the earthly capital Chang'an, naming its geographic standing. This line uses near to write the mountain's height and the place's honor; the opening at once showing the grand air. Using one main peak to stand for the whole Zhongnan is taking the high one to概 the rest, brush force concentrated. The opening line sets the tone; the whole poem's grand air is established by this one line, also preparing the next line's joining the mountains to the sea's edge far-reaching momentum. Using Great Yi's honor and the capital of heaven's extreme, the two set against each other; the distance between mountain and sky, mountain and capital, is compressed to the extreme by one near.

白云回望合

white clouds, looking back, close in,

回望白云合拢成帏

White clouds, when I look back, have closed up.

此句写山中行游的独特感受。「回望」二字点出诗人身在行游之中，非静止观山；回望来路，白云已合拢，遮断了刚刚走过的山口。一个「合」字，写云的动态——山间云气流动，人过则云开，人过则云合，回望时来路已没入白云之中。这既是实景，又暗含一种微妙的怅惘：走过的路转瞬即被云封，山愈显幽深莫测。以「合」写云，是王维善于捕捉山中瞬息之景的明证，也把「望」的视角由远望转入了行游中的回望，层次因此丰富。

This line writes the unique feeling of traveling in the mountains. Looking back two characters point out the poet is mid-travel, not statically gazing at the mountain; looking back at the source road, white clouds have already closed, blocking the just-passed mountain pass. One close writes the cloud's motion - mountain cloud breath flowing; when a person passes, clouds open; when a person passes, clouds close; looking back, the source road already sunk into white clouds. This is at once the real scene, and secretly holds a subtle disappointment: the road walked is instantly sealed by clouds; the mountain all the more shows its depth and unfathomability. Using close to write clouds is proof of Wang Wei's skill at catching the mountain's instant scenes; also turns the gazing perspective from distant gazing into the looking-back within travel, the layers therefore rich.

青霭入看无

blue mists, entering, vanish.

走近青霭却淡然若无

The blue mists, entered, are nowhere seen.

此句与上句对举，写云的另一种状态。「青霭」是青色的云雾，远望分明，走入其中却化为乌有——「入看无」三字，写尽了山中云雾的可望而不可即。这既是视觉的真实（云雾近看则散，远看则聚），又含一层禅理：许多物事，远观宛然，近察则空。一「合」一「无」，上句写云的聚合，下句写云的消散，把终南山云霭的变幻迷离写得淋漓尽致。这一联是写山云的名句，历来为人称赏，其妙正在以「合」「无」二字写出云霭若即若离、虚实相生的神韵。

This line set against the previous, writes the cloud's another state. Blue mists are blue-gray clouds; from afar clearly visible, yet walking into them they turn to nothing - entered, are nowhere seen three characters exhaust the mountain cloud's visible-yet-unreachable. This is at once sight's truth (clouds disperse when near, gather when far), and holds a layer of Zen principle: many things, far viewed distinct, near examined void. One close one no, the previous line writing cloud gathering, this line writing cloud dispersal; writing Zhongnan cloud's transformation and bewilderment to the utmost. This couplet is the famous line on mountain clouds, praised through the ages; its subtlety precisely lies in close and no two characters writing the cloud's now-near-now-far, void-and-solid generating神韵.

欲投人处宿

Seeking a dwelling place for the night,

日暮欲寻人家投宿

I would seek a dwelling place for the night,

尾联由写景转入写人，是全篇的收束之笔。「欲投人处宿」点出日暮——山行既久，天色将晚，诗人欲寻人家投宿。这一句把前三联的纯粹写景，拉回到人的行迹与需求之上，使全诗从「望山」落实为「行山」。山中云霭迷离、众壑阴晴，正是需要「宿」的背景；「欲投人处」的迫切，也从侧面衬出山之大、人之渺、时之晚。由景及人、由阔入微，这一转，为下句「隔水问樵夫」的收束蓄势，也使雄阔的山景染上了人情的温度，是全诗「雄浑而不失亲切」的关键一联。

The closing couplet turns from scenery to person, the whole piece's closing brush. Seeking a dwelling place for the night names dusk - mountain travel already long, the sky darkening; the poet wishing to find a household to lodge. This line pulls the previous three couplets' pure scenery back to human tracks and needs, making the whole poem from gazing-at-mountain settle into walking-the-mountain. The mountain clouds' bewilderment, the ravines' changing light, is precisely the background needing lodging; the urgency of seeking a dwelling place also from the side sets off the mountain's greatness, the person's smallness, the hour's lateness. From scenery to person, from grand to minute; this turn stores force for the next line's asking a woodcutter across the stream's close, also dyes the grand mountain scene with human warmth - the key couplet of the whole poem's grand yet not unfriendly.

Study

Word focus

合 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「合」字写白云回望之际合拢成帏的动态，是全诗写云最见功力的一字。云本飘散无定，诗人不写「白云多」而写「回望合」，一个「合」字，既写出了云的流动（人过云开、人过云合），又写出了山的幽深（来路转瞬即被封合）。「合」还带出一种闭合、遮蔽的意味，与下句「无」字形成开合、聚散的对照——云合于后，霭无于前，终南山云气的变幻尽在其中。王维以「合」字写云，笔致极简而意味极丰，是炼字如神的典型。此字还暗含行游者回望来路的怅惘，景语与情语于一字中相融。

无 a final question particle, close to 'will you?' 「无」字与上句「合」字对举，写青霭「入看」即失的虚幻。「青霭」远望有形，走近却无，一个「无」字，把云雾的可望不可即写到了极致。此字既是写景的实笔——山间薄霭，远聚近散，走入其中反而看不见；又是写禅的虚笔——色相本空，执着即失，暗合王维深味的佛理。以「无」收束颔联，与「合」字一聚一散，构成完整的云霭之境。这一联因「合」「无」二字而成为写山云的千古名句，其妙正在于以两个极简的动词，写出了云雾从聚合到消散的完整过程与若有若无的禅意。

问 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「问」字是尾联的点睛之笔，以一声人语收束全篇。山行日暮，欲寻宿处，诗人「隔水问樵夫」——一个「问」字，写出了山中的空旷与人情的温暖。隔水相问，说明溪涧相隔、山谷幽深；「问樵夫」则点出山中有人、有烟火，与前三联的云霭迷离、众壑阴晴形成对照。这声「问」还留下了余韵：问的什么？樵夫答了什么？皆在言外，全诗遂以一问作结，余味悠长。以「问」收束，是王维由景入情、由阔入微的章法妙笔，也是这首写景诗归于人情、归于生趣的落脚点。

终南山